IDW Transformers Unicron #4 Review

Being a Beast Wars fan, I'm sorry but the useage of Maximals as villains to end the serie almost reek of the author hating on BW and making them a secondary unsubtle giant mallet that says "See? They ruined and destroyed everything!"

Overall, so far? Meh, 5/10 with some bonus for ending this.

Edit: Deleted most of the post out of fear of backlash and flamewar.

I don't think it was any malicious intent behind doing it, and certainly doesn't read to me like it's saying that. It's a bit of a shame that they were used like this but it is what it is.

I personally don’t dislike the use of beast wars characters being villains but it has been on my mind throughout all this as “yeah there’s gonna be a lot of people don’t like this”

I too don’t think John is doing this to make people mad. He’s using them because there is a lot of racism toward beastformers established in IDWs history and Shockwave is someone who has always been sympathetic toward cybertronians who have been treated like they’re lesser being so these characters being used as his army do make sense. Yes they are not these characters we all group up with but I feel they do fit with the history of IDW.

Again I do totally understand and can relate to people who do not agree with how these characters are portrayed.

Randomhero wrote:I personally don’t dislike the use of beast wars characters being villains but it has been on my mind throughout all this as “yeah there’s gonna be a lot of people don’t like this”

I too don’t think John is doing this to make people mad. He’s using them because there is a lot of racism toward beastformers established in IDWs history and Shockwave is someone who has always been sympathetic toward cybertronians who have been treated like they’re lesser being so these characters being used as his army do make sense. Yes they are not these characters we all group up with but I feel they do fit with the history of IDW.

Again I do totally understand and can relate to people who do not agree with how these characters are portrayed.

I find it a bit crappy that they just labelled 'Maximals': now admittedly, making Maximals the 'tribe of Liege Maximo' is admittedly an interesting idea given their name and that the maximal logo is sometimes depicted as green. Unfortunately, to me the idea fall apart because Barber took characters who were once fleshed out characters on their own right, the stars of their own show 20 years ago and turned them into mere cameos and later a near-faceless, dialogue-low army of vicious monsters. I find this interesting and telling of how much the crop of Neo-G1 writers still hold Beast Wars to be secondary, inconsequential or even not having any character of note that people care about. Nevermind this was the first story and character-heavy TF show when it came out.

Perhaps had they fleshed out 'Beast Megatron' and made him a prominent figure in the Maximal army it could have worked because his original portrayal did have an angle of him seeing his Predacon brethren as 'unjustly oppressed' (irrelevant of Predacons being genuinely dickbags safe for Dinobot), hence his plot to alter history in the show. They could have also gone with the angle of using him and Shockwave as flat out embracing the beast side and wanting to make everything beasts: a twisted reversal of Beast Machine Megatron's plan to make every cold, mechanical and logical.

To me this just seem like some sort of bizarre slapdash of ideas not really given time to stand out and be fleshed out combined with some misplaced desire to use 'cameo characters' as much as possible for the finale.

Skritz wrote:

Randomhero wrote:I personally don’t dislike the use of beast wars characters being villains but it has been on my mind throughout all this as “yeah there’s gonna be a lot of people don’t like this”

I too don’t think John is doing this to make people mad. He’s using them because there is a lot of racism toward beastformers established in IDWs history and Shockwave is someone who has always been sympathetic toward cybertronians who have been treated like they’re lesser being so these characters being used as his army do make sense. Yes they are not these characters we all group up with but I feel they do fit with the history of IDW.

Again I do totally understand and can relate to people who do not agree with how these characters are portrayed.

I find it a bit crappy that they just labelled 'Maximals': now admittedly, making Maximals the 'tribe of Liege Maximo' is admittedly an interesting idea given their name and that the maximal logo is sometimes depicted as green. Unfortunately, to me the idea fall apart because Barber took characters who were once fleshed out characters on their own right, the stars of their own show 20 years ago and turned them into mere cameos and later a near-faceless, dialogue-low army of vicious monsters. I find this interesting and telling of how much the crop of Neo-G1 writers still hold Beast Wars to be secondary, inconsequential or even not having any character of note that people care about. Nevermind this was the first story and character-heavy TF show when it came out.

Perhaps had they fleshed out 'Beast Megatron' and made him a prominent figure in the Maximal army it could have worked because his original portrayal did have an angle of him seeing his Predacon brethren as 'unjustly oppressed' (irrelevant of Predacons being genuinely dickbags safe for Dinobot), hence his plot to alter history in the show. They could have also gone with the angle of using him and Shockwave as flat out embracing the beast side and wanting to make everything beasts: a twisted reversal of Beast Machine Megatron's plan to make every cold, mechanical and logical.

To me this just seem like some sort of bizarre slapdash of ideas not really given time to stand out and be fleshed out combined with some misplaced desire to use 'cameo characters' as much as possible for the finale.

Yeah but in the same it’s not their story and there’s not really much of reason to give them time to be characters in ways. They’re there to be an army. They are just these characters in appearance and I don’t think we technically need to compare them to their cartoon personalities. In 35 years we’ve gotten over a dozen different versions of G1 characters to a point where have a megatron who has become a good guy.

With beast wars it’s a little harder since there’s pretty much one or two versions of primal and beast megatron. Beast wars is so modern no one has really ever tried or wanted to make new reinterpretations of these because nobody wants to or they don’t know how to because beast wars characterization was pretty perfect.

I asked while reading this “why not just call them predacons? Seems more appropriate- oh right, there are predacons in this universe...”

Again I do understand if you don’t like how they’re portrayed. They are just generics wearing iconic character costume. Literally since the reveal in issue 2 and I can say “if they’re just genetics why use them? Just use other beat characters.”

It’s a question really for John and if you ask him on Twitter and he might answer! He’s very friendly and does answer fan questions. The answer might just be “I wanted to use some beast wars characters in here”

To be fair, beast wars: uprising did offer new takes on characters but it was club fiction.

There could have been a different plan initially, but the universe ending shoehorned the Maximals into their current role. They cut an imposing figure when they're not done up all craggly.

ZeroWolf wrote:To be fair, beast wars: uprising did offer new takes on characters but it was club fiction.

That’s true. I did forget about uprising.

All in all I thought this issue was okay. I don’t know why but it took this issue for me to understand shockwaves plan. Going back and rereading from issue 1 I was like “oh he did state his plan from the beginning”

It just didn’t stick with me at all. Mostly I think because of the maximals being with unicron.

Randomhero wrote:

Skritz wrote:

Randomhero wrote:I personally don’t dislike the use of beast wars characters being villains but it has been on my mind throughout all this as “yeah there’s gonna be a lot of people don’t like this”

I too don’t think John is doing this to make people mad. He’s using them because there is a lot of racism toward beastformers established in IDWs history and Shockwave is someone who has always been sympathetic toward cybertronians who have been treated like they’re lesser being so these characters being used as his army do make sense. Yes they are not these characters we all group up with but I feel they do fit with the history of IDW.

Again I do totally understand and can relate to people who do not agree with how these characters are portrayed.

I find it a bit crappy that they just labelled 'Maximals': now admittedly, making Maximals the 'tribe of Liege Maximo' is admittedly an interesting idea given their name and that the maximal logo is sometimes depicted as green. Unfortunately, to me the idea fall apart because Barber took characters who were once fleshed out characters on their own right, the stars of their own show 20 years ago and turned them into mere cameos and later a near-faceless, dialogue-low army of vicious monsters. I find this interesting and telling of how much the crop of Neo-G1 writers still hold Beast Wars to be secondary, inconsequential or even not having any character of note that people care about. Nevermind this was the first story and character-heavy TF show when it came out.

Perhaps had they fleshed out 'Beast Megatron' and made him a prominent figure in the Maximal army it could have worked because his original portrayal did have an angle of him seeing his Predacon brethren as 'unjustly oppressed' (irrelevant of Predacons being genuinely dickbags safe for Dinobot), hence his plot to alter history in the show. They could have also gone with the angle of using him and Shockwave as flat out embracing the beast side and wanting to make everything beasts: a twisted reversal of Beast Machine Megatron's plan to make every cold, mechanical and logical.

To me this just seem like some sort of bizarre slapdash of ideas not really given time to stand out and be fleshed out combined with some misplaced desire to use 'cameo characters' as much as possible for the finale.

Yeah but in the same it’s not their story and there’s not really much of reason to give them time to be characters in ways. They’re there to be an army. They are just these characters in appearance and I don’t think we technically need to compare them to their cartoon personalities. In 35 years we’ve gotten over a dozen different versions of G1 characters to a point where have a megatron who has become a good guy.

With beast wars it’s a little harder since there’s pretty much one or two versions of primal and beast megatron. Beast wars is so modern no one has really ever tried or wanted to make new reinterpretations of these because nobody wants to or they don’t know how to because beast wars characterization was pretty perfect.

I asked while reading this “why not just call them predacons? Seems more appropriate- oh right, there are predacons in this universe...”

Again I do understand if you don’t like how they’re portrayed. They are just generics wearing iconic character costume. Literally since the reveal in issue 2 and I can say “if they’re just genetics why use them? Just use other beat characters.”

It’s a question really for John and if you ask him on Twitter and he might answer! He’s very friendly and does answer fan questions. The answer might just be “I wanted to use some beast wars characters in here”

Isn't that a self-fullfilling prophecy? There's no real basis for alternate interpretation because, unlike G1 which had cartoon and comics, the BW cast only really ever had their TV show with very strong characterization. But because said characterization exist nobody will try to go for an alternate take.

As for Twitter: I try to stay away from cancer, thank you very much.

Now I've read it...

To me this was a filler issue. Exposition heavy doesn't even begin to describe it. The crux of the entire issue, again was lost to the artwork. The roar, the chest glow.. Joy? Pain? The art definitely isn't telling the reader.

A continuing problem I'm having with this series. Note I'm not saying the art is bad, it's actually quite good and consistent throughout. However, every single panel seems to have at least ten extra things at play it simply shouldn't. It's too much and is hindering the visual flow of the story. To me this could have been last issues back up story and it wouldn't have felt out of place. 5/10

Skritz wrote:I find this interesting and telling of how much the crop of Neo-G1 writers still hold Beast Wars to be secondary, inconsequential or even not having any character of note that people care about. Nevermind this was the first story and character-heavy TF show when it came out.

100% agree with this. Certainly what I've reading between the lines from their inclusion in this story.

I dont know if I am in the majority or minority, but this mini isnt doing it for me. For such a huge event, I feel really underwhelmed by it all. They really doubled down on the "no gods" thing and Unicron's lack of sentience kinda sucks out all the fun and wonder. Plus for trying to make it more into the realm of science than that of fantasy, I lose all sense of scale and logic by having all the saved races along with the entire race of giant robots currently inhabit earth. How small was cybertron then?
Usually Milne's art is enough to carry me, but even that seems to be different than what i am used to. Maybe its due to the different colourist or inker,but it feels far less clean than before. Also while Milne exceeds at robotic beings, I always found his humans simply average compared to the rest of the industry, lacking in any distinctive style. And this book has lots of organics so it doesnt play to his strong suit.

Thanks to a heads up from Comic lover Sunstar, we have word that IDW artist Alex Milne has been given permission to share with us his cover for IDW Unicron #6! The cover, shared on his twitter page, is his interpretation of the end of the IDW universe at the hands of Unicron, with various bots and fragments of panels showing scenes from all of the IDW titles being sucked into Unicron's maw as he roars in rage. He also was kind enough to share the uncolored version.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Why did he have to include that bit of Kup dying...I was trying to forget that series. Though it also looks like that's the only but of Megatron we'll see in this mini series

@Will thanks for posting your thoughts on this, especially on your take on Unicron. While it is different, I do wish it had been different from the take they went with. I would have loved them to have presented us with a Unicron that was akin to the elder gods of the Cthuthulu Mythos. Or if they want him to be silent, then make it an allusion to him seeing the TFs as ants, and we don't have conversations with ants before we deal with them do we. It's a shame as I love the look of this Unicron, and I would throw money at Hasbro to have a toy of it (In fact I bet that the people who have done the recent Tarn non-transforming statue would handle something like this)

When is the reboot happening, I've lost interest in this version of transformers, too many other titles, I would like one book so I didn't need to get 100 other books to know what is going on.

ZeroWolf wrote:@Will thanks for posting your thoughts on this, especially on your take on Unicron. While it is different, I do wish it had been different from the take they went with. I would have loved them to have presented us with a Unicron that was akin to the elder gods of the Cthuthulu Mythos. Or if they want him to be silent, then make it an allusion to him seeing the TFs as ants, and we don't have conversations with ants before we deal with them do we.

All great points, I fully agree with. And I dont mind silent Unicron, as long as it shows it has agency of its own. But this one doesnt, its just an automated deathstar. You know what this treatment of Unicron reminds me of? 2 things:

- Ultimate/Movie Galactus: Just an entity devoid of any personality that was very boring to have as an antagonist and only shared similarities in name and some visual cues.
- Bane from Batman and Robin: looks like Bane, has Bane's name, even his powers but is just a brain dead pastiche of what we think of when we think of Bane. This is what this Unicron is.

Of all the ideas they could have had for an interpretation of Unicron, this is the most dull Barber could have gone with.

ausbot wrote:When is the reboot happening, I've lost interest in this version of transformers, too many other titles, I would like one book so I didn't need to get 100 other books to know what is going on.

Next year. There are six issues remaining of the current continuity, two this month, four in October.

ausbot wrote:When is the reboot happening, I've lost interest in this version of transformers, too many other titles, I would like one book so I didn't need to get 100 other books to know what is going on.

Arent there like only 3 books, one of them being a miniseries? And both Optimus Prime and Lost Light are independent of eachother so you dont need one to know what is going on in the other.
And i dont think the reboot will mean less books.

Amusing to see a picture of Thunderwing (The Forgotten) on that cover and being so prominent...

After getting a glimpse at Alex Milne's cover for Unicron #6, we have yet another cover from the final IDW universe ending issue, this time at the hands of its original artist: EJ Su! The final issue cover gives us Unicron in the background as Optimus Prime poses like Christ on the cross and with a slight glow around him, while Soundwave, Starscream, Bumblebee, and Windblade's heads all float around him. EJ Su was the original IDW Transformers artist, penciling the Infiltration, Escalation, and Devastation series, in addition to spotlights around the same time and some covers and interiors since.

Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

AUG180714
(W) John Barber (A) Alex Milne (CA) E. J. Su
EARTH WAR! With Unicron's ultimate goal revealed, the shaky alliance of Autobots and Decepticons is all that stands between Earth and the planet-eater. Heroes will rise-and fall-as Optimus Prime journeys into the dark heart of Unicron for the final confrontation with evil. At stake: the soul of a universe.

This is it! The end of an era! Finishing off 13 years' worth of continuity with a bang!
A double-sized story for the ages!
Don't miss the cover by the man who introduced the IDW age of Transformers: E.J. Su!
In Shops: Oct 24, 2018
Final Orders Due: Oct 01, 2018

Why does Starscreams face look off in that cover? The rest look fine, it's just his.

ZeroWolf wrote:Why does Starscreams face look off in that cover? The rest look fine, it's just his.

Agreed. That was the only face I could not recognized until I read the post. Odd eh?

ZeroWolf wrote:Why does Starscreams face look off in that cover? The rest look fine, it's just his.

Cause his whole head and helmet is rounded on the same contours, the traditional helmet is more blocky and angular

that looks SWEET

ZeroWolf wrote:Why does Starscreams face look off in that cover? The rest look fine, it's just his.

they all look off to me. hell, windblade almost always looks off to me cos she has such a ridiculous head design.

ZeroWolf wrote:Why does Starscreams face look off in that cover? The rest look fine, it's just his.

I didn't even notice with the subtle Optimus Crucifix shoved front and centre

Prime doesn't even look like that. His arms are outstretched, but he's flexing them, as if in triumph. He doesn't look like he's being crucified. It's a pretty good cover, though.

For those keeping track, Unicron 5 has been pushed from next week to 10/10. Unicron 6 has moved from 10/24 to 10/31.

Knowing that Andrew Griffith is/was a last minute tag-in to help with some pages on 6 makes me think that one might get pushed into November.

ScottyP wrote:For those keeping track, Unicron 5 has been pushed from next week to 10/10. Unicron 6 has moved from 10/24 to 10/31.

Knowing that Andrew Griffith is/was a last minute tag-in to help with some pages on 6 makes me think that one might get pushed into November.

So that would mean we would get the epilogue before the final chapter? I know unicron as a miniseries has spoiled what happens in Op but for op then to spoil the ending of unicron...

ZeroWolf wrote:

ScottyP wrote:For those keeping track, Unicron 5 has been pushed from next week to 10/10. Unicron 6 has moved from 10/24 to 10/31.

Knowing that Andrew Griffith is/was a last minute tag-in to help with some pages on 6 makes me think that one might get pushed into November.

So that would mean we would get the epilogue before the final chapter? I know unicron as a miniseries has spoiled what happens in Op but for op then to spoil the ending of unicron...

Current schedule would have them out on the same day, so I guess we'll see! If Unicron 6 gets pushed further then yeah, that would be a shame, assuming the solicits for OP 25 are to be believed.

Courtesy of IDW Publishing directly, and embargo dates passing, we have the full preview to share for this week's Transformers comics release in the form of Unicron #5 - the penultimate issue in the mini-series, and the end of the world as we know it!

The contents of the book do spoil a little of yet unreleased Optimus Prime #24, but nothing major from what is present in the preview below, so you're still clear to read if you're following the single issues. Take a look, and join us later this week for a Seibertron.com review and Energon Pub discussion!

Transformers: Unicron #5 (of 6)
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
THE END IS HERE! The Transformers bots make one last, desperate stand against Unicron, as Optimus Prime plunges deep into the monster—and into the dark history that spawned them both.
FC • 32 pages • $4.99

Bullet points:
• The final battle rages as Unicron attacks the Earth!
• Jam-packed with guest stars in a battle for survival—but will anyone make it out alive?
• Variant covers by Fico Ossio and Francesco Francavilla!

After this issue publishes, everything else will be "last issues" and conclusions.

I haven't read any of the Unicron books yet save for Zero.

Having BW characters as Unicron's minions or whatever is kind of a turn off. But I'll likely just binge read this entire series at some point.

I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

Yeah, it’s hard to rule the world when someone else shows up and goes OM NOM NOM on it

Flashwave wrote:

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

Yeah, it’s hard to rule the world when someone else shows up and goes OM NOM NOM on it

My thoughts exactly.

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:

Flashwave wrote:

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

Yeah, it’s hard to rule the world when someone else shows up and goes OM NOM NOM on it

My thoughts exactly.

Till all are one.

Black Bumblebee wrote:After this issue publishes, everything else will be "last issues" and conclusions.

Still two issues of Optimus Prime left

In case anyone needs a reference or is curious:

"G2"

Va'al wrote:"G2"

I not sure I get it...

YoungPrime wrote:I haven't read any of the Unicron books yet save for Zero.

Having BW characters as Unicron's minions or whatever is kind of a turn off. But I'll likely just binge read this entire series at some point.

It's a fun nod to Armada, and Beast Wars Neo to a much lesser extent. I only bring up BWN since Drancron was one of the first ones seen back in OP 14 (or 13 or whenever the Throttlebots stuff was.)

ZeroWolf wrote:

Va'al wrote:"G2"

I not sure I get it...

Be forewarned that most jokes are not funny once explained and this will likely be one of those cases. Anyway, the middle of the scene has a big tub or container of Sparks. One of the few of them to become a Transformer so far is, more or less, G2 Sideswipe, hence the joke.

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

ok, I'm glad I'm not going insane when I saw that. Why in the world are there 3 Cobra Commanders...man i'm glad this is all coming to an end...

I also think I saw a G2 Sideswipe, but he's dead right...RIGHT???....

o.supreme wrote:

Mr.MicroMaster wrote:I love how even Cobra is helping. Including three different Cobra Commanders.

ok, I'm glad I'm not going insane when I saw that. Why in the world are there 3 Cobra Commanders...man i'm glad this is all coming to an end...

I also think I saw a G2 Sideswipe, but he's dead right...RIGHT???....

The reason there’s 3 Cobra Commanders is because there are 3 characters who have claimed that title: Krake (the dude in the cape) who led Cobra up until he disappeared between G.I. Joe vol. 3 and 4; Tomax (in the classic outfit) who took over leadership of Cobra from Krake but didn’t assume the Commander title until being forced into it by Baron Ironblood in Revolutionaries and now can’t remove the helmet; and the Baroness (in the cloth mask) who reorganized Cobra and declared herself the new Commander in G.I. Joe vol. 5.

Also, that G2 Sideswipe isn’t the same Sideswipe who died. He’s one of the new generation of protoforms that was born inside Trypticon back in OP #14.

I’m not sure you can really get mad if you haven’t read the other books.

No Review yet?

Anyway, I've read issue 5 and this flowed a lot better than the previous issue. Felt considerably less like an exposition dump than the previous issues, although there was quite a bit here too. The "reveal" (I guess?) with Nemesis seems to both come out of nowhere and perhaps dilute the already underwhelming portrayal of Unicron. My issues with the panel to panel layout of the art persist. I gave up even trying to follow the big air battle that takes place here. Which according to the Wiki, someone dies, but I couldn't tell you who or where.
This one I would give a 6.5/10. An improvement, still held back by the (haphazard) visual narrative.
Not quite sure how this is going to all be tied up in one more issue, so I am cynically expecting an epilogue/Coda piece to follow.

Yeah the epilogue is the last issue of Optimus Prime.

ZeroWolf wrote:Yeah the epilogue is the last issue of Optimus Prime.

After reading this issue, I thought that would be the case. Ta

Synopsis

THE END IS HERE! The Transformers make one last, desperate stand against Unicron, as Optimus Prime plunges deep into the monster—and into the dark history that spawned them both.



Story

So here we are once more, with the issue before the end, the final non-final issue. And as a windup to the ultimate climax, did the book deliver? Well, see below.



So here's the thing about this particular book: the pacing felt much better in this issue and it feels the more cohesive compared to the other issues so far. While it was not particularly full of action, it wasn't supposed to be, as it is the calm after the destruction of Cybertron and before the final confrontation before the universe truly ends. And Jetfire and Prowl even say as much.

It also takes place following the Optimus Prime 24 comic that came out a week later (see the review from earlier today!), so it was spoilerish to review, hence the review waiting to give people time to access and process that book.

It was also cool that this book managed to make itself a Hasbro Universe book, more so than really any other book done so far. And unlike past Hasbro U events, this one finally has a proper team up across the board, even if the events feel a bit rushed, pushed, or forced. But hey, at least we got a large part of this mad universe together in some fashion!



But the main issue I find in the story is the personalities of the people involved at times, as with little action and mainly setup, it feels like we got some big personalities that are clashing with each other more so than in previous issues. And with a grand total of 3 issues left in this Universe period after today with Optimus Prime 24, it feels like some of those characters may not get the ending of the story that they need or deserve. Slide is one that particularly bothers me, Spike is sort of there but not really, Prowl returning with a protege of sorts in Stardrive, and while Stardrive does play off nicely and her wraith moments are good, especially with other wraith-infected members, her taking a sort of Prowl approach doesn't really sit well with me, and it's kind of a bummer.

Shockwave is sort of still doing stuff, and the final standoff between masters of logic are set up, but I can't help but feel that this doesn't feel as rewarding as it should. The same way with the Maximals: we have memorable faces and names, but they have a small amount of lines between them, and nothing really to back them up beyond their mere recognizable appearance.

One thing the book definitely did get right though was Thundercracker, and as his story nears completion, I love the character that was made, and I love how he, Marissa, and Buster are a nice little family that loves and trusts each other. I also appreciated Trypticon and his direction, and the new generation and the protection so many feel over them. Well done there.



But again, overall I felt there was a little bit more clashing than there could have been with different characters, and the story reads a bit less cohesively as it could, but the pacing here felt good as a pseudo-breath catcher. We got good moments, just maybe not as powerful as they deserved to be.

art

Art duties fall for the second-to-last time to Alex Milne and David Garcia-Cruz, and once again they do a masterful job. The art for the series has been fantastic, but seeing the different parts of Unicron looming over Earth, and really getting a good idea of the scale of the robot mode Unicron compared to the Earth is pretty awesome. We finally get a good scale done right for Unicron.

Scale does seem to be a good strength of the book too, as we get Titans involved as well, and the background scenery is very well done considering we jump from the US to a destroyed Canadian cityscape to the African jungles to space. I appreciate the level of detail and the coloring that went into each shot as well. The colors are dark and foreboding where they are needed, vibrant and bright when action is intense or Unicron's glow is present, space is beautiful, and it does a good job of mixing together the darkness (figurative and literal) of the end while still bringing some natural beauty and properly expressing the mood of the series.



If there is one complaint I would have, it would be that the Decepticons in Africa almost appear too lightly colored compared to what we see later and are used to, but it's a minor nitpick.

Letters are handled by Tom B. Long, who does his level best (and succeeds) in making sure those previously discussed lines and colors are enjoyed to the fullest extent to give us proper scenery and people on screen while still delivering the dialogue. Kind of a cool thing to note too is Bludgeon and his speech bubbles. He continues the "God of Death" black bubbles for most of the issue, but there is a particular moment where he loses that, and he falls back to regular Bludgeon, and the lettering pulling that off was a neat touch.

Final Thoughts

When writing up this review, it was hard to give this book a score and proper credit. It's a pretty good book, a decent read, and fun to look at. But while it is a good book, it's not necessarily a good Transformers book. It tries its hardest, but ultimately, I think the overall series needed a little bit better pacing to make it a proper and good Transformers book, especially when this book showed that proper pacing can allow you to better grasp what is happening and allow you to breath for a second and take in what you are reading.



Make no mistake though, it's still not bad. It is fun, dark, has some good character moments, some questionable characters, kind of a lot going on to the point of a bit too much, but also clever, and it even managed to make "Titan-Mastering" a verb.

So should you read this? Yes, I think you should. Is this Lost Light 22 good? Not quite. Is it Wreckers Trilogy good? Not by a decent amount. But is it still worth your time and effort? I'd say yes. Unicron himself may not be everything we wanted him to be, but he looks amazing, and his story ultimately fits in with what the Mythos is for this universe.

Take it like that, and you can enjoy this issue as a whole.



As has become the theme for the Unicron reviews, this week's issue anthem is Rebirthing by Skillet!

Based on this issue I don't see most of the remaining '84 cast surviving. Guess we'll see! I do wish this and OP 24 had been wrapped into one book with the final battle actually starting with this chapter. There is a metric ton of plot to resolve in Unicron 6 now.

We have two pieces of news concerning the final chapter of the Unicron mini-series. Firstly, Scotty P has made us aware of a five page preview over at Comic Crusaders. For those unaware, this final issue is a double issue and Alex Milne will be accompanied by Sara Pitre-Durocher, Andrew Griffith, and Kei Zama for art duties.

The preview is below but before that we wanted to share a variant cover sent to us by artist John Paul Paras who also wrote to us the following:

I've been a Transformers fan all my life and when I heard they were doing a Unicron Mini Series, I knew I had to be apart of it. I wanted to do a cover homaging the Classic "Infinity Gauntlet" Issue 4 George Perez Cover. IDW and Hasbro approved of the concept and I was off into the creative phase. I wanted to show that although Unicron was small compared to vastness of space, he was ready to conquer it. KRSComics.com are taking Preorders for the Release date of November 14th. The Variant is limited to 500 copies and is only available their online. I'm proud to be apart of Transformers history and hope you guys enjoy my cover to Transformers Unicron issue #6.

Transformers: Unicron #6 (of 6)
Cover A: Alex Milne / Cover B: James Raiz
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)

FC • 48 pages • $7.99

November 14 2018

This is it! The end of an era! Finishing off 13 years’ worth of continuity with a bang!

EARTH WAR!

With Unicron’s ultimate goal revealed, the shaky alliance of Autobots and Decepticons is all that stands between Earth and the planet-eater. Heroes will rise—and fall—as Optimus Prime journeys into the dark heart of Unicron for the final confrontation with evil. At stake: the soul of a universe.